Efficacy and Implementation Considerations for a Peer-led Motivational Interviewing Intervention to Promote Uptake of Drug Checking Services and Safe Drug Use Behaviors to Reduce Overdose
A hybrid type 1 study will be conducted to evaluate efficacy and preliminary implementation considerations for a novel intervention to promote uptake of drug checking services (DCS) and safer drug use behaviors among people who use drugs (PWUD) to reduce incidence of overdose (OD) and HIV and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in San Diego County. Along with \ 50 other syringe services programs (SSPs) in the US, the Harm Reduction Coalition San Diego (HRCSD), a local SSP, recently launched CheckSD (San Diego), a DCS using test strips (TS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) that allows people to submit drug samples with non-nominal identifiers and obtain personalized results. While most existing DCS using FTIR offer some counseling, no theory-based interventions to increase DCS uptake and promote post-DCS adoption of safer drug use behaviors have been rigorously evaluated
⁃ A total of 588 PWUD participants will be recruited for the proposed study (MI-CHANCE). To be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
• Be aged ≥18 years at time of recruitment
• Must have used illicit opiates (e.g., heroin, fentanyl) and/or methamphetamine ≤1 week prior to recruitment date
• Live in San Diego County with no plans to permanently move over the next 30 months
• Have not previously used the CheckSD drug checking service
• Enrolled into ongoing prospective cohort study La Frontera (the border) (existing or new participants)
⁃ Enrollment will be capped so that \<25% of the sample reports only using methamphetamine to ensure that the sample is comprised primarily of people who use opiates who are at greatest risk of OD. Recruitment will be done through targeted sampling at hotspots as well as homeless encampments, shelters and outreach through social media.